Category Uncategorized

Breetzke must play, Maharaj out in front, room for Jansen – SA's ODI lessons

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The maulings in the dead rubbers notwithstanding, South Africa have done many things right across the Australia and England ODI series

Firdose Moonda08-Sep-2025South Africa have won back-to-back ODI series and, despite the aberration in the two dead rubbers, have begun the process of building to the 2027 World Cup. While their success marks significant progress – their win in Australia was their fifth successive bilateral ODI series triumph over them, while victory in England was their first since 1998 – there are still some issues to iron out.Most pressing is the long-time concern of chasing. South Africa have not successfully chased over 200 since December 2023, and have failed to chase a score of that magnitude eight times, including twice across the Australia and England tours. Both times, with the series already won, South Africa conceded over 400 before being blown away, which may not worry them too much except for what it says about their obvious strength in batting first. Since 2023, South Africa have won 16 out of 23 matches when defending a total, but need to address the approach fielding first, especially when it matters. Here are five things to note on the road to 2027.

Breetzke must play

It could, and maybe should, become a campaign slogan after Matthew Breetzke stamped his name in the stars-to-watch list with five successive ODI fifties. That it took Breetzke eight months to play those five matches speaks to how difficult it has been for him to get into the XI, but he has now made the case for staying there. You could even argue that he should be batting higher than No. 4 given that he has spent most of his career as an opener. Breetzke’s aggressive approach fits in with how South Africa want to play and his square-of-the-wicket strength makes him difficult to stop. With Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen both retired from this format, Breetzke has the potential to take over the match-winning mantle and, injuries aside, should play in as many games as possible.Matthew Breetzke continued his prolific start in ODIs•AFP/Getty Images

Uncertainty over the top order

The jury’s still out on whether the Aiden Markram-Ryan Rickelton opening pair is the one to continue with after they came together in Australia. In six matches, they have shared one century stand, two half-century partnerships and three without getting past 11. Neither has looked entirely fluent, though Markram has been in better touch in 50-over cricket than in T20Is. Rickelton has battled for rhythm throughout so the efficacy of their partnership may best be judged when both are in better touch. Given the top-order options in the squad, South Africa may also want to experiment with other combinations, including moving Breetzke up or introducing Lhuan-dre Pretorius.Another factor that will affect the top two will be the availability of Temba Bavuma at No. 3, especially if injuries continue to interrupt his playing time. After going on tour with a mandate to manage his workload, Bavuma started five out six matches and suffered a calf strain in the fifth. While the captain has made plain his desire to lead the side at the 2027 tournament, his body may not agree and South Africa will need to start thinking of solutions. A potential one is to move Markram down to No. 3, creating an opening at the top.ESPNcricinfo LtdA middle-order of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs (who is also searching for form), and potentially David Miller promises much, especially with a wealth of allrounders to follow.

Getting Jansen back in

Corbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder have each made significant contributions as the fourth seamer – Bosch with two T20I three-fors in Australia, Mulder with one in the ODIs in England – and they help lengthen the batting line-up. But will there be room for one or both of them when Marco Jansen is back? Jansen has not played since the World Test Championship final where he broke his thumb, but is expected to return for the Pakistan series.Jansen offers the left-arm variation, bounce and the ability to hit boundaries at will, which means he will likely slot straight back into South Africa’s XI and that will require a rejig.Bosch also has genuine pace and is a dangerous batter and Mulder’s ability to swing the ball and move up the order as needed may result in South Africa employing a horses-for-courses approach among the three and rotating them as conditions allow.There is also the option of the left arm-spin bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy, which gives South Africa additional resources.Related

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Maharaj grabs lead spinner’s role

All the talk about age may escape Keshav Maharaj, who is 35 now and will be 37 when the 2027 World Cup is played but continues to improve with experience.Maharaj took his first ODI five-for in Australia and became the No. 1-ranked ODI bowler the next day. He went on to take eight wickets in the England series to finish as South Africa’s most successful bowler and was named Player of the Series on both occasions.While accuracy has always been his strength, Maharaj has introduced more frequent changes of pace and gives it more flight in the shorter formats, as he actively goes in search of wickets in a more attacking role than before. Maharaj’s 50-over form earned him a recall to the T20I side and his performances have all but ensured he will be part of South Africa’s next two World Cup squads across 2026 and 2027.

Ngidi’s resurgence

The numbers are not going to make this seem like a good argument especially as 2025 has been Lungi Ngidi’s most expensive in ODIs, but that’s not the full story. Ngidi’s bowling strike rate of 26 is his best in the format in five years and points to a resurgence across formats. It was only three months ago that Ngidi played his first Test in ten months at the WTC final and recovered from a poor first innings to bowl a match-changing spell of 3 for 38 in the second innings. He has since played four of South Africa’s five T20Is in Zimbabwe, all six white-ball games in Australia, and nine out of South Africa’s 11 ODIs this year.Considering that between 2021 and 2024, Ngidi only played 36 out of 56 ODIs and struggled (with a strike rate of over 30 each year), the consistency of this comeback has been impressive, especially in Kagiso Rabada’s injury-enforced absence. Ngidi’s slower ball continues to be his ace and the delivery that bowled Jos Buttler at Lord’s and effectively won the series was one to remember.

What’s next?

South Africa’s focus will shift to T20Is with the series against England, which starts on Wednesday, in what is the more immediate concern as next year’s World Cup draws closer. Then they return home for a few weeks before heading to Pakistan for an all-format tour, including the start of their WTC title defence.

RCB allrounder Shreyanka Patil wants to be 'X-factor player'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The 20-year-old’s range of shots, and her fearlessness in executing them, has impressed stalwarts such as Devine and Perry

Shashank Kishore15-Mar-2023″I’d like to give myself some credit, because I’ve put in the effort.”In an age where young players are coached to say the right things, Shreyanka Patil, 20, is different. There’s an unmistakable confidence about her as she speaks about her rise up the ranks.Patil was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore on the back of an excellent domestic one-day tournament, where she was the second-highest wicket-taker for Karnataka. Five games in, she has been one of the bright spots in what has largely been a disappointing campaign for her side.In her first WPL game, she immediately impressed with 23 off 15 balls from No. 8 against Mumbai Indians. Her range of shots and the fearlessness in executing them received plaudits from stalwarts such as Sophie Devine and Ellyse Perry. In her second outing, she performed with the ball, picking 2 for 32 against Gujarat Giants. That she got the opportunity to bat at No. 6 in her most recent outing, against Delhi Capitals, was further validation of her batting potential.Related

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“Players like Shreyanka, she is no doubt going to play for India in the years to come,” Devine had said after her WPL debut. “Seeing what she can do with the ball and how she struck the ball, I think I need to go to her for six-hitting guide.”Patil is an offspinner but gushes about having the mind of a fast bowler who can bowl yorkers on demand. She has a small build but doesn’t let that come in the way of hitting big sixes. As a fielder, she has a lively presence inside the ring. All these attributes are much welcome in any T20 outfit, but Patil doesn’t want to be “any player”.”X-factor player,” Patil says with a grin. “That’s what I want to be. That’s what I train for. That’s what I’ve been taught to be. You have to be different, right? That’s how you get noticed.”It is this “being different” that convinced Patil’s father, Rajesh, that she was talented. He noticed her unwavering concentration while playing with a hanging ball for hours together at the cricket academy he ran, where she played for five years.She had a penchant to time the ball but grew up hearing about the need to have a second skillset to complement her game. She tried her hand at fast bowling, legspin and wicketkeeping, but finalised on offspin only because there weren’t too many of that variety in her set at the Karnataka Under-14 trials.”Essentially, I took up offspin and got picked immediately. That’s when I became serious about it,” Patil chuckles. “Also, getting picked was a kind of realisation for dad that I was serious about the game. He decided I needed to go to a bigger set-up.”Patil has a small build but doesn’t let that come in the way of hitting big sixes•BCCIPatil began training at the Dravid-Padukone Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Arjun Dev, her coach there, would become her mentor. Their working relationship was so strong that when Dev moved on to begin his own academy three years ago – NICE Academy – Patil also moved with him and became the academy’s first female cricket trainee.But moving to a new set-up brought its own set of challenges.”I realised I spent far too much time commuting to the academy,” she says. “In a city like Bangalore, it can get to you. Four hours of commute up and down every day didn’t help. I decided it was time to focus on those four hours and use them better.”Patil, unlike several others in the WPL, was fortunate to have the means and support of her family to move homes. She found herself an apartment a hop away from the academy and moved in to live by herself so that she could train and focus better.”That’s one of the best decisions I made,” she says. “More than having quality training, I feel it has changed me as a person. You learn to be independent, you learn to think for yourself, [and] have time for yourself.”Growing up as kids, you kind of take your parents for granted, but actually being away in that sense was an education for me. It helped that they supported me. My mom was initially against the idea, but once she saw the benefits of the move, she bought into it wholeheartedly.”Patil is still four months short of turning 21, but she has already established herself in the Karnataka set-up. However, only a year ago, she was benched for the T20s. It’s then she acknowledged that it was important to work extra hard, even if it meant spending eight or nine hours at training across two sessions. That is when she realised the decision to live closer to her training facility was a massive boon.Patil is still short of turning 21 but has already established herself in the Karnataka set-up•Shreyanka Patil”She had the skills; it was more about helping her understand her game,” Dev says. “She bowls at a quick pace for women’s cricket. Initially, she would be dubbed as this expensive bowler. For me, most of the coaching was around making her understand [that] pace is her speciality, not a weakness.”In women’s cricket, if you watch domestic tournaments especially, you will see legspinners and left-arm spinners mostly bowl to 6-3 fields. Offspinners also bowl 6-3 because they don’t turn the ball that much. We told Shreyanka, ‘You’re too good to do just that. You have something different, go down that route. You may not be appreciated at the moment, but eventually your time will come.’ Her returns at the one-day tournament were a validation. That played a big role in her WPL call-up.””I think my biggest learning has been to think for myself and develop plans,” Patil elaborates this point, “and then fine-tune it with people I trust – like Arjun sir. I realised I can’t be spoon-fed. That doesn’t help anyone. When Mike [Hesson, Royal Challengers’ director of cricket] told me after our first session how he was impressed that I had come fully prepared, it was a kind of vindication of my own beliefs and plans had worked so hard on.”Patil aims to play for India by 2025. It’s a goal she charted out once cricket resumed after Covid-19. And while she has had an impressive start to her WPL stint, she knows there is a long way to go, and goes by a simple mantra: “Stick to your plans, keep pushing the boundaries, and the rewards will come. It’s that simple for me.”There can’t be more clarity than that.

Ben Duckett: 'I've certainly had setbacks but they've made me who I am'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Notts batter eyeing England after righting some wrongs during last summer’s T20 Blast triumph

George Dobell09-Jun-2021Life doesn’t always present second chances quite as neatly as it has for Ben Duckett.A year after Duckett had, in his words, “messed up” at the key moment of the 2019 Vitality Blast semi-final against Worcestershire, he was back at Edgbaston again, though this time in the final. And this time, he hit consecutive boundaries to finish 53 not out and win Nottinghamshire the title with 16 balls to spare.”I will remember that match against Worcestershire for the rest of my life,” Duckett says now. “It was a big learning curve for me.”The whole game rested on me, and 99 times out of 100, I’d get the team over the line there. But I messed up in that last moment. I could have been the hero, but I missed that last ball and yeah, it was a bit of a shock. I made one mistake and it costs us the competition.”But when I look back on it, we – as a team – messed up the game long before that. We should never have been in the situation where it went to the last ball. I think we needed 11 from the final two overs. But we lost three wickets in the penultimate over through some brainless cricket.Related

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“Everyone had my back. Until that moment I’d actually played a decent innings and I think we understood that it was a learning moment for us as a team. I knew afterwards that, if I had my time again, I would have taken a risk in that second last over and tried to kill the game.”I’ve certainly had setbacks in my career. That was one of them. They’ve made who I am.”A great example is Ben Stokes. Look what happened to him in the final of the World T20 in 2016? Like me, he wants to be there in the big moments. And if you are there in those pressure moments, sometimes you won’t get it right. But he bounced back from that and won England the World Cup final a few years later.”Thankfully, 12 months after that Worcestershire game, I had another chance and I got us over the line.”Duckett and co. will have another chance to “get over the line’ when their Vitality Blast campaign starts on Wednesday with a televised fixture away against Worcestershire. They have lost their captain, Dan Christian, Pakistan allrounder Imad Wasim and Chris Nash, the top-order batter, from the team that won last year. But with Alex Hales and Joe Clarke joining Duckett in an eye catching top-order, they are quietly optimistic they could become the first side to win the title for two years in succession.

“It’s such a tough competition to win,” he says. “We have 11 games in 20 days, I think. So it’s really important we focus and start again. If we think we’re going to breeze through because we won last year, we’ll be in trouble.”Joe is a quality player. Some players – me, for example – don’t change their game that much between T20 and Championship cricket. We tinker, but it’s pretty much the same. But with Joe, I’ve seen him bat for 150 balls in a Championship game one week and make 70 off 25 balls in the Blast the next. It’s scary how good at striking the ball he is. And Hales, at the other end, he’s not too bad, either. With those guys at the top of the order, we look dangerous, don’t we?”Could there be a second chance for Duckett in international cricket, too? It could easily be forgotten that he has played all three formats of international cricket but never in England (he played his only T20I in Wales). He’s only 26 and, in 2020, averaged 56.28 in the County Championship and 42.50 (at a strike rate of 137.65) in the Vitality Blast. There’s a lot to like.”I’d love to play an international game in England in front of the crowd,” he says. “I’m pretty sure it was about four o’clock in the morning when I played. Some people don’t even know I played international cricket.

“My issue was my front leg used to go straight down or outside leg stump as I used to hit through the off side. But if you show your stumps to someone as good as Ashwin… well, it’s easy for him.”Duckett struggled in his only Test winter to date

“It [India and Bangladesh] was an extremely tough place to go. If I went back to India now, I know that I would do a lot better.”I obviously had a technical issue against offspin. I kept getting out to balls that pitched on middle and hit the top of off stump. Funnily enough, I see county players doing the exact same thing now. I mean look at the lads who went to India last winter: they’re clearly gun players and they really struggled.”My issue was my front leg used to go straight down or outside leg stump as I used to hit through the off side. And I could get away with that in England because there is, basically, no spin. But if you show your stumps to someone as good as Ashwin… well, it’s easy for him.”I had to work really, really hard on that. It took me a couple of years. But I made a good hundred against Jeetan Patel a couple of years ago and just the other day, I scored one off about 30 balls against Simon Harmer. I was happy with that as I really trusted my defence and it worked.””My aspirations certainly aren’t over. But I don’t know which format I would return in. I still love playing four-day cricket – there’s no better feeling than scoring a Championship hundred – and it may be there are more options for me in Test cricket than the limited-overs teams. They look really tough to break into. But there’s another World Cup in a couple of years. Who knows?”Right now, my focus is on playing for one of the better sides in the country, enjoying my cricket and putting in some performances to help Notts win another trophy this year.”With the opening two matches of the 2021 Vitality Blast at Trent Bridge sold out at reduced capacity, tickets are currently on sale for the subsequent five fixtures and are available online at tickets.trentbridge.co.uk. All home games which aren’t live on Sky will be streamed at trentbridge.co.uk/live.

Spurs have signed an incredible "freak talent" who could be their new Bale

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The glory hasn’t always followed, but Tottenham Hotspur have had some truly world-class stars play for them over the last ten to 15 years.

The one who was able to cement his legacy with a trophy was Son Heung-min, but the likes of Harry Kane, Mousa Dembélé and Luka Modrić were just as brilliant for the North Londoners.

However, when it comes to a combination of otherworldly talent and entertainment value, it’s hard to look past Gareth Bale.

The Welshman transformed into one of the best players in the world at Spurs, and it now looks like the club might have a new version of him.

Bale's rise at Spurs

Ask any Spurs fan what season Bale hit his peak at the club, and the vast majority will say his final season, 12/13.

That campaign saw the Welshman reach levels nobody really knew he could, as he scored 26 goals and provided ten assists in just 44 appearances, totalling 3,891 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal or assist every 1.22 games, or every 108.08 minutes.

Such a ludicrous rate of return for a team that only finished fifth was enough for Real Madrid to come sniffing, and one world record bid of £85m later, the Spanish giants got exactly what they wanted.

However, while the memory of the international legend at Spurs is a great one, things were not always so straightforward for him, nor was he always such a goal machine.

In fact, when the club signed him from Southampton in May 2007, he wasn’t even an attacker; he was a highly rated full-back.

That’s the position he continued to play, through injuries and poor form, for a couple of years in North London, until, partway through the 09/10 season, Harry Redknapp decided to move him up the pitch and play him on the wing.

The rest, as they say, is history, and while Spurs might not have another winger as devastatingly effective as Bale, they might have another international in the making who could be as good in their own position.

Spurs' new Bale

Spurs have several exciting young talents com

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

ing through the academy at the moment, from Luca Williams-Barnett to Oliver Irow, but there is one out on loan who could just be the best of the lot.

That youngster is, of course, Luka Vušković, who is currently on a season-long loan with Bundesliga side Hamburg, and by all accounts, is having an exceptional season so far.

In fact, the Croatian wonderkid has just been named the league’s rookie of the month, and has clearly won over the fans, with content creator Fiago claiming that he’s “the best 18-year-old center back I’ve ever seen in my life.”

That’s not all, though, as not long after the Lilywhites originally signed the youngster, respected analyst Ben Mattinson described him as a “freak athlete” and a “freak talent” with a “scary ceiling,” which sounds quite Bale-esque.

Combine these raving reviews with the fact that he’s currently playing in defence, still incredibly young, and has proven himself to be something of an attacking force over the last year or so, and the comparison is easy to make.

For example, in 36 appearances for KVC Westerloo last season, the Split-born titan scored seven goals and provided three assists, and in just four appearances this year, he has already opened his account.

Vušković’s recent form

Season

24/25

25/26

Appearances

36

4

Minutes

2965′

360′

Goals

7

1

Assists

3

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.27

0.25

Minutes per Goal Involvements

296.5′

360′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Finally, he has already won a senior cap for Croatia, so it looks like he’s set to dominate on the domestic and international scene for a long time to come.

Ultimately, Vušković is unlikely to become a winger like Bale, but there is arguably even more hype around him today than around the Welshman when he joined Spurs, and he looks set for superstardom.

Spurs sold "phenomenal" striker for just £7m, now he's as prolific as Kane

The incredible striker Spurs sold is starting to play like Harry Kane.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 7, 2025

Tottenham readying January move for “amazing” £44m striker praised by Frank

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Tottenham Hotspur are now readying a January move for an “amazing” striker, who has been praised by Thomas Frank in the past.

Tottenham looking to sign new striker despite Richarlison returning to form

Frank managed to stave off some of the pressure by recording a 2-0 victory against Brentford on Saturday, which was his side’s first home Premier League victory since the rout of Burnley on the opening day of the campaign.

It was a comfortable win for Spurs, who never really looked threatened throughout the match, with the Bees recording an xG of just 0.29, and Richarlison continued his recent uptick in form, scoring his sixth Premier League goal of the season.

That said, some of Frank’s other attacking options haven’t been quite so prolific in front of goal, with Randal Kolo Muani still yet to open his account in the Premier League, while Dominic Solanke has featured in just three matches in all competitions, having struggled with an ankle injury.

As such, the manager may want to bring in a new striker during the upcoming transfer window, and a Premier League star has now entered the frame as a target.

That is according to a report from Football Insider, which states Tottenham are now readying a January move for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, with his future at Selhurst Park up in the air.

Palace may be forced to cash-in on the centre-forward, given that no progress has been made in negotiations over a new contract, and it has previously been revealed they could look to hold out for £44m.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke also added: “He’s under contract until 2027 but if he’s not going to sign a new deal by next summer, you would imagine Palace would be more increasingly open to selling Mateta to get a fee for him, rather than potentially letting him run down his contract.”

"Amazing" Mateta has earned move to top club

Lauded as “amazing” by Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, the Frenchman has been in impressive form this season, netting nine goals in 23 matches in all competitions, while also providing two assists.

The 28-year-old has now proven himself over a number of years in the Premier League, scoring a combined 30 goals across the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, meaning he has earned the opportunity to prove himself at a top club.

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In fact, Frank was personally left impressed by the Palace star for his performance in a 2-1 defeat against Brentford last season, describing him as “very hard to handle.”

As such, Tottenham should definitely look to capitalise on the Eagles’ stalling contract negotiations by pursuing a move for Mateta in the upcoming transfer window.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Explains Why He Reinstated Pete Rose

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

After 36 years of being banned from baseball, MLB will reinstate Pete Rose as well as "Shoeless" Joe Jackson from the league’s ineligible list, reported first by ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. on Tuesday. This decision comes after Rose's family requested the reinstatement in January following the baseball legend's death in September.

Rose hoped for reinstatement for decades, and now he gets his wish posthumously.

With his reinstatement, Rose is able to be considered for a Hall of Fame ballot that would be voted on in Dec. 2027. But, first, he needs to be nominated by the Hall’s Historical Overview Committee to even have his name be on a ballot.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred met with President Donald Trump weeks ago after Trump expressed his desire to pardon Rose. While Manfred stayed hush on the meeting for weeks, he finally announced his decision. He gave more explanation behind the decision in the MLB's statement, with it mostly coming down to the fact that Rose has since died.

"In my view, once an individual has passed away, the purposes of Rule 21 have been served. Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game. Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve. Therefore, I have concluded that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual, and Mr. Rose will be removed from the permanently ineligible list."

Rose's ban began on August 24, 1989 when Rose voluntarily accepted a lifetime ban from baseball commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti due to accusations that he gambled on games while playing for and managing the Cincinnati Reds. He was alleged to have bet on his own team. In 1991, the Baseball Hall of Fame voted to ban everyone on the permanently ineligible list from induction, which barred Rose's selection during his first year of eligibility. Rose admitted in 2004 that he had bet on baseball games, claiming he placed bets with bookies on Reds games as often as five times a week while managing the team in 1987.

"While it is my preference not to disturb decisions made by prior Commissioners, Mr. Rose was not placed on the permanently ineligible list by Commissioner action but rather as the result of a 1989 settlement of potential litigation with the Commissioner's Office," Manfred wrote. "My decision today is consistent with Commissioner Giamatti's expectations of that agreement."

Rose pushed for reinstatement multiple times before his death last year. He first applied in 1997, but commissioner Bud Selig never issued a ruling. Rose then applied again in 2015, but Manfred rejected the reinstatement during his first year as commissioner.

During his playing career, Rose became one of the most accomplished baseball stars in history. Over the course of his 24-year career, he racked up 17 All-Star bids, three batting titles, two Gold Gloves, National League MVP (1973) and three World Series titles with the Reds in 1975 and '76 and with the Philadelphia Phillies in '80. He retired after 1986 as MLB's all-time leader in hits (4,256), singles (3,215), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), and plate appearances (15,890).

Celtic now "aware" of Raheem Sterling transfer as Chelsea plan clear-out

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Celtic have now reportedly been “made aware” of an opportunity to sign Raheem Sterling from Chelsea in the January transfer window, with the winger still frozen out at Stamford Bridge.

It’s a busy time for the Hoops, who were thrown into chaos when Brendan Rodgers made an unexpected decision to resign earlier this season – sparking the return of Martin O’Neill on an interim basis.

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ByTom Cunningham Nov 12, 2025

Since then, the 73-year-old has turned back the clock to get Celtic back on track and send the rumour mill into overdrive that he could yet extend his second stint in charge of the club.

O’Neill, however, has often distanced himself from the permanent job and candidates such as Wilfried Nancy and Kjetil Nkutsen are beginning to emerge as potential options to take the reins.

The next two weeks should be crucial for Celtic in their managerial search, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll have a new name in charge by the time that the international break comes to an end.

If their search is ongoing, then O’Neill has reiterated that he’ll be happy to stick around until the club no longer need his services – telling reporters: “I will be here as long as the football board wants me, it’s as simple as that.”

Of course, whoever is in charge will have plenty of work to do in the January transfer window, with Celtic in need of reinforcements and a number of potential options already coming to the fore.

Celtic "made aware" of Raheem Sterling option

As Graeme Bailey told 67 Hail Hail, Celtic have now been “made aware” of the chance to sign Sterling in January, as Chelsea continue to give the four-time Premier League winner the cold shoulder in West London.

Without an appearance all season, the former Manchester City winger desperately needs a move this winter, but must face up to the reality of a significant pay-cut if he is to move onto a club like Celtic. As things stand, Sterling earns an eye-watering £16.9m-a-year at Chelsea.

To put that figure into context, Celtic’s record signing, Adam Idah cost them £11m so, in one swoop, Sterling’s wages alone would beat the Bhoys’ record transfer fee and that’s simply not doable in Glasgow. The Chelsea man will need to make a major sacrifice.

There would also be question marks over Sterling’s ability to make an instant impact. Although former Chelsea boss Graham Potter dubbed the winger “excellent” during his time at the club, those days are long gone and he hasn’t played a senior game since a loan spell at Arsenal last season. Even if he were to halve his salary, it would be an expensive gamble for Celtic.

Desmond set to hold talks with "amazing" 4-2-3-1 manager this week

مدرب نيجيريا يتهم الكونغو الديمقراطية بممارسة السحر الأسود في ركلات الترجيح

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

اتهم مدرب نيجيريا، إريك شيلي، لاعبي الكونغو الديمقراطية بممارسة طقوس الفودو (السحر الأسود والشعوذة)، خلال ركلات الترجيح في المباراة بين الفريقين.

وأقيمت المباراة بين نيجيريا والكونغو الديمقراطية، على ملعب مولاي محمد الخامس في نهائي الملحق المؤهل إلى كأس العالم 2026، وذلك أمس الأحد.

وانتهى الوقت الأصلي للمباراة بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لمثله، ولجأ الفريقان لركلات الترجيح، لتفوز الكونغو الديموقراطية بنتيجة 5-4 على نيجيريا، لتخطف بطاقة الصعود للملحق العالمى لـ كأس العالم 2026 (طالع التفاصيل).

وفي نهاية مؤتمره الصحفي، سأل شيلي الصحفيين عن سبب عدم ذكرهم للحادثة، وقال في حديثه باللغة الفرنسية في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “إندبندنت” البريطانية: “كان لاعبو الكونغو الديمقراطية يمارسون طقوس المارابوتاج (السحر والتعاويذ)”.

ثم كرر شيلي تصريحاته بالإنجليزية وأوضح: “خلال جميع ركلات الجزاء، كان لاعبو الكونغو يمارسون طقوس الفودو (السحر الأسود).

وعلّق سيباستيان ديسابر مدرب الكونغو الديموقراطية على المشادة التي وقعت بين لاعبي الفريق ومدرب نيجريا شيلي، وقال إن المشادة “لم تكن مشكلة”.

England seek 'momentum shift' in deciding ODI against India

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Charlie Dean says pressure of performing in hard-fought bilateral series can help harden team ahead of World Cup

Valkerie Baynes21-Jul-2025An even scoreline going into Tuesday’s deciding ODI between England and India in Durham carries stakes higher than a series win.Victory for England would bring a more meaningful endorsement of their new leadership than sweeping West Indies aside could and with it a confidence boost ahead of the World Cup.As co-hosts of that tournament, a loss for India feels like more of a setback, especially as they completely outplayed England in three of the five T20Is that preceded this 50-over leg of the tour.Charlie Dean, the England offspinner who was Player of the Match in the fifth T20I with 3 for 23 as the home side took a consolation victory to make it 3-2 to the visitors, felt winning a high-pressure match against India would constitute a step forward for her team.Related

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“Losing the T20 series as well and the first game of the 50-overs, it would probably feel like a bit of a shift, just a bit of momentum maybe,” Dean said. “So to be able to pull that off would be something really special and it would give a lot of the girls a lot of confidence going to India playing some of the best teams.”When England joined India in being bundled out of the T20 World Cup at the group stage last year, there were murmurings that they hadn’t been pushed enough in the lead-up, going unbeaten at home to Pakistan and eventual T20 world champions New Zealand.When they play their first match of the 50-over World Cup on October 3 – almost a year to the day since their opening match of the T20 event – England won’t have that excuse.Their two T20I wins against India have gone down to the last over, their only comfortable victory coming in the rain-hit second ODI at Lord’s where a combination of England’s spinners, a lightning start to the run-chase by Tammy Beaumont and the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method helped them to an eight-wicket win with three overs to spare.”Whenever we can challenge ourselves in pressure situations, especially in these bilateral series, we’re only going to benefit from it,” Dean said. “When you’re in a winning position, you don’t want to lose that and force yourself into places where you have to really be on it, but in a way it’s good learning and a way that you grow as players.”We’ve seen bilateral series where we’ve done really well and then when it comes to World Cup games and tournament cricket, we’ve maybe not had momentum or not been clinical in those pressure moments. So any chances that we can emulate that in bilateral series is perfect practice.”Dean also acknowledged that England’s spinners, who took six wickets between them to cause irreparable damage to India’s formidable middle-order at Lord’s, could learn from their visiting counterparts.And perhaps no one had been more instructive than Deepti Sharma, whom Dean has played with and against since being controversially run out backing up by Deepti the last time they played an ODI at Lord’s, a moment Dean described as “water under the bridge” despite another feisty encounter on Saturday.”When we look at the Indian spinners and our spinners, we are all very different bowlers and I think I’ve probably been drawn into some comparisons,” Dean said. “But what we do as English spinners is we bowl the ball with a bit more pace on it, and that means that it might go to the boundary a little quicker, but it’s something that we’ve had to do and that’s how we play on English wickets.”Also maybe our batters are a little more susceptible to spin than India’s bating line-up. They’re all brilliant sweepers, they use their feet and they really come at us hard, which is something that we look to emulate with the bat as well but we try and stay away from comparisons too much because you maybe get a little lost.”But taking pace off and being really accurate, Deepti’s just hammered the stumps and changed her pace, and it works really well for her. That’s something that we can really look to try and emulate in our own way, without trying to be something that we’re not.”For her own part, Dean has concentrated on adapting between formats and looked for lessons that can be used in Indian conditions in just over two months’ time.”I’m in a really good spot and that might not be reflected against all games that I’ve played, but having that innate sense of, ‘I’m going well here,’ and really backing that no matter what situation I come into is something that I’ve probably not had in my international career for a while,” she said.”Predominantly in English conditions I bowl a lot of scrambled seams and try and skid onto the stumps and while that has its place – particularly in Indian conditions where you get a bit more favour, a bit more turn, I can look to slow it down and really try and spin the ball – which sometimes I go away from because I feel like if it’s turning too much, I might miss the stumps.”Sometimes accuracy can be your biggest currency in women’s cricket, so it’s just knowing the right moment to go between different plans. But all that’s doing is building a portfolio of skills that I have in my basket that I can hopefully go out and use when it comes to the World Cup.”

"Madness" – Pundit left "surprised" by key Thomas Frank decision at Tottenham

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has led the Lilywhites to a pretty promising start so far this season, but one internal decision has sparked some debate.

Thomas Frank averaging close to 2 points per game at Spurs

Following their gritty 2-1 win over Leeds United just prior to the international break, Frank has averaged close to 2 points per game over his first 11 games at Spurs so far.

Ex-chairman Daniel Levy’s controversial decision to axe former boss Ange Postecoglou, who guided them to their first major trophy in 17 years last season, looks vindicated as the Australian endures a torrid time at new side Nottingham Forest.

Matches

11

Wins

5

Draws

3

Losses

2

Points

18

Points per game

1.91

As Postecoglou struggles to chalk up his first Forest win after replacing Nuno Espírito Santo, with reports suggesting that Tricky Trees owner Evangelos Marinakis is considering his unceremonious sacking already, Frank’s tenure in North London has been very positive by contrast.

While some concerns surrounded their performances against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt, with Tottenham rescuing dramatic draws against the two teams they were expected to beat comfortably, Frank has certainly solidified what was a fragile-looking Spurs side.

Only Premier League leaders Arsenal have conceded fewer goals than Tottenham, Newcastle and Crystal Palace over the first top flight games of 25/26, and Spurs’ performance at Leeds was built upon their newly-found resilience as a unit.

Tottenham ended the Yorkshire side’s year-long unbeaten run at home in the league by overcoming Daniel Farke and co at Elland Road, whilst also ending their torrid record of seven consecutive defeats in games just before an international break.

Frank is undoubtedly making his mark at N17, with the Dane also deciding his leadership group to spearhead Spurs through a long campaign where they’ll be competing on multiple fronts.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, who have been called one of the best centre-back partnerships in world football, are among the chosen leaders, with long-serving defender Ben Davies, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and playmaker James Maddison making up rest of the five.

However, pundit John Wenham has been left shocked by a key omission from the group.

Pundit "surprised" by key Thomas Frank decision at Tottenham

Speaking to Tottenham News, Wenham believes that right-back Pedro Porro should be in there.

The Spaniard, who’s played the fifth most league minutes out of any Tottenham player under Frank, has also made more clearances per 90 on average than all of his teammates in the top flight this season (WhoScored).

The 26-year-old has attracted criticism at times, but he was a solid candidate for the leadership group, with Wenham left “surprised” by Frank’s decision not to include Porro given the defender was captained for the very first time against Doncaster Rovers.

The former Sporting CP star, who was originally signed to slot into former boss Antonio Conte’s wing-back system, has gone on to make 116 appearances in all competitions.

His flair as an attack-minded full-back has seen Porro rack up 22 total assists for the club, including a sumptuous cross for van de Ven to head home against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League most recently — which eventually helped to prevent a humbling defeat in Norway.

Frank has also compared Porro to Real Madrid and former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold, so while the Dane doesn’t view him as one of the leaders, it is clear how highly he’s rated by Tottenham’s new boss.

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